An Anonymous Girl
By Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen
St. Martin’s Press, 9781250133731, January 2019, 384pp.
The Short of It:
If you are into cat and mouse type reads then An Anonymous Girl is the book for you.
The Rest of It:
While working on a client, Jessica hears about a research study that pays good money. Although the study is not geared towards her age demographic specifically, the beauty business she’s in doesn’t pay all that much and her family desperately needs the money, so she pretends to be her client so she can participate and make a little extra cash.
Jessica has no idea what she has gotten herself into. All she has to do is answer the questions that Dr. Shields asks but the questions stir up the past and make her doubt the type of person she is. And when the questions become tasks, that seem to test her in more ways than one, Jessica finds herself stuck in the middle of a cat and mouse game that is completely out of control.
This was an entertaining read but honestly, it went on for about fifty pages too long. I liked Jessica a lot, even though she didn’t always make good decisions. I also liked Dr. Shields and how cold and calculated she was. I feel like they complimented one another in the way that women sometimes do when they are together. But although I enjoyed the book a lot it took me a really long time to read it.
It’s advertised as being a lot like Gone Girl. It is not. Thankfully.
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.
Book Chatter 
I’ve read mostly positive things about this book but haven’t felt compelled to pick it up for some reason. I saw an interview with the authors and they said they write every single word together.
Now, that’s interesting. I really wondered how they wrote the book together because it didn’t vary from chapter to chapter like some shared work does. I think a good 50 pagers could have been whittled out if they wanted to tighten the pace up a bit. I didn’t feel the end coming like a freight train which I do with other books in this genre. It was sort of a slow boil.
I loved The Wife Between Us by this author – audio was awesome. I have the print of Anonymous Girl right now from library but hoping audio comes this week as well. Glad it wasn’t like Gone Girl – disliked that book but, I did like the movie.
Reading a book now that I think you might enjoy – Watching You; Lisa Jewel – page turner, psych thriller.
I liked Gone Girl the movie a lot more than the book.
Watching You is on my list. I haven’t read The Wife Between Us but I figured it was too much like another book I had read called My Husband’s Other Wife or something like that. I can’t keep them all straight! LOL.
I totally agree with you about this book.
Plus, she wasn’t all that anonymous, now was she?
The comparison to Gone Girl blows my mind. It is as if someone in their marketing department didn’t feel like doing any work on this campaign and picked a novel with instant market recognition without really considering whether the description is apt. Sloppy and misguided.
I really liked this book. I don’t know what it says about me that I admired Dr. Shields. A lot. I always dream of appearing to the outside world as polished and professional with a sophisticated and subtly luxurious taste. With her perfectionist tendencies, she was my ideal hero – up until her craziness become obvious.
I know what you mean. I kind of liked Dr. Shields myself. She came off as being very cold but there were glimpses of what she was before her husband’s “adventures”. Her elegance and style were admirable too. I could see how another woman might be impressed by that.
I read the previous book these authors wrote together last year and liked it. Have not read this one, but have it on my list for one day. You can count me as another one who was not a big fan of GONE GIRL and, sadly, this one has ‘GIRL’ in the title. I’m so tired of ‘GIRL’ – ha! Yes, yes, marketing has to make links for readers (or so they think). Ah well, as I said, I’ll likely get to it as it is fairly interesting to me. Not rushing though. Kind of tired of these types of books.
I don’t read too many of these types of books so once in awhile works for me. But yes, the whole Gone Girl lure puzzles me because it just wasn’t any good. And the whole girl thing. What’s the draw really? I like a little bit of crazy but that’s not gender specific.
I haven’t wanted to read this one, but you make it sound more intriguing. Thank you
It is intriguing, given that I liked the doctor too and she’s not made out to be all that great. The study part of the story was interesting.
This sounds like it was good but not spectacular.
It was good but not the page turner I expected it to be. I kept putting it down. Each chapter was kind of repetitive so there really weren’t any big reveals… nothing shocking anyway.
I almost started the audio of this book but then started another one instead. I may still listen to it.
I enjoy a good cat and mouse thriller now and then. It sounds like this one wasn’t quite as edge of the seat as it could have been. I am glad to hear though you liked Jessica. I do want to read this one at some point.